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Enrique Encinosa’s Heroes del Escambray

Ran into Enrique Encinosa last week at the Radio Mambi studios right before I went on the air with Lourdes De Kendall. He handed me a CD and said "I just re-wrote my Escambray Rebels book. Added a bunch of stuff. I want to get it into Cuba."

"I think I can help with that," I replied.

And here it is. Enrique Encinosa's excellent Heroes del Escambray - an absolute must read - available for download only at Babalu Blog. Download it, read it, and pass it along.

(This post will remain on top for the day. For news on Fariñas and other relevant topics, scroll down.)

"You CAN'T plug another author's book in the very TEXT of YOURS, Humberto?!" gasped my publishers. ...."Maybe in the acknowledgements section?...footnotes? etc--but...but..."

"Tough shit!" and I got away with it. Kike Encinosa's (he's not Jewish, Cubans know what I mean) book got plugged (for what it's worth) in all THREE sections of both my Cuba books...and deserves planes flying banners over the entire country with their titles....well, I did my (little) part. You cannot BEGIN to understand Cuban history without DEVOURING Kike's book(S)! GRAB 'EM!!!

And WOW! TO think of island Cubans reading Kike's accounts of their countrymen's heroism!

I love Encinosa's work. Since his first book on the subject, he has documented a portion of Cuban history hitherto unknown to most. That his work should reach those in Cuba is wonderful. Keep plugging Humberto; and thanks for the download Val and Enrique.

This is in PDF format, so I will ask one more time: has this been published in book form anywhere? If not, I know where the author can have it published either in Spanish or English. This is something that needs to be preserved in a more permanent format.

Spygirl, as Val said the download is a rewrite, I don't know if it's been published yet. The earlier versions are in English-"Unvanquished: Cubas Resistance to Fidel Castro." It is excellent, in fact it changed my life, and I keep it on my desk. The Spanish version is "Cuba En Guerra: Historia de la Oposicion Anticastrista 1959-1993." I know Unvanquished is available from Pureplay Press and Amazon, I'm not sure about Cuba En Guerra.

Thanks Val. Ziva; I believe "Unvanquished" covered a broader topic, which was overall opposition to Castro since his takeover. It is a great book, but only covers the Escambray rebels as part of a whole, rather than focusing strictly on their struggle. I really wish we could get this more focused book published in English as well. There's an English-speaking audience this side of the straits that needs to learn more about this valiant struggle against the Castro tyranny. Also, I think it would be a valuable addition to those of us that study military history.

Spygirl; why don't you contact Encinosa and discuss the possibility of an English-language publication?

Your welcome, and Mambís right about the books, I just wanted you to know about all of them. I hope the rewrite gets published in both Spanish and English, and in my opinion, the story of the Guerrilla war in the Escambray would make an incredible epic film.

Awesome post Val. We have a hard copy of the book. My family's fight against the dictatorship is mentioned on page 66; my grandfather was Santos Gonzalo (RIP). We still don't know where the bastards buried my great uncle Felo Gonzalo and my great-grandfather Jose Gonzalo.

Marielena Montesino de Stuart has lived the Cuban passion and Calvary and is the only candidate for the U.S. Senate from Florida who identifies heart and soul with the total and uncompromising liberation of Cuba. She is uniquely qualified to advance the heroic struggle of the Cuban people against Communist tyranny, because she has lived it. The Heroes del Escambray do not deserve to disappear down the Liberal memory hole. Their heroic counter-revolution so aptly recounted by Enrique Encinosa via his excellent history and priceless photographs cannot be extinguished. All readers who reverence and treasure the total commitment of the Heroes del Escambray memorialized by Enrique Encinosa will find in Marielena Montesino de Stuart de Stuart a resourceful and courageous champion: http://www.marielenastuartforussenate2012.com/

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